The story begins in Food Wars, when Alice took him home.

Seeing this, Bai Yuan silently quickened his pace to catch up, while the old man stopped before entering the restaurant and waited for him to be ahead before following him in.

The host should stand before the guest; this is an age-old custom and a reflection of his ingrained upbringing.

"Welcome, are you two?"

As soon as the two entered, a smartly dressed waitress greeted them with a smile and asked about their situation.

"Yes, you two."

"Distinguished guests, please take your seats here."

Upon hearing Bai Yuan confirm the number of people, the waiter gestured for them to proceed. He then led the two to a four-person table, cleared away two sets of tableware, and poured tea for them from the teapot.

"The menu is here, please take a look."

"No need for that. One serving of poached chicken, two servings of claypot rice, and a pot of slow-cooked soup will suffice for a simple dinner."

Considering he didn't have much cash with him, Bai Yuan ordered some dishes that cost several hundred yuan at market price. He thought the restaurant was quite upscale, so the prices might be a bit higher, but it should still be within his budget.

"Kid, you've got a good appetite."

When visiting Guangzhou, poached chicken is a must-try, and slow-cooked soup is another Guangzhou specialty, considered the king of soups, evoking the most genuine memories. Claypot rice, as a staple food, is naturally impeccable as well.

"Since I'm new here, I definitely have to try the classic dishes first. I haven't had Cantonese cuisine in a long time, and I do miss it a bit."

Bai Yuan smiled and handed the menu back to the waiter, who nodded slightly upon hearing his words and then notified the kitchen to prepare the meal.

"That's right. Nowadays, many people from other places come to Guangzhou but don't try any of the local specialties. It's such a pity."

The old man in plain clothes nodded in deep agreement, finally acknowledging Bai Yuan and becoming somewhat curious about his identity.

Such an aura could never belong to an ordinary person. If he couldn't even see that, he must be old and blind.

Strong people are drawn to each other; although it's not explicitly stated, they understand this better than anyone else.

"Young man, you came to Guangzhou at this time and immediately went to a restaurant to taste the local specialties."

Let me guess, you're probably here to participate in Guangzhou's annual top-level chef assessment.

Thinking about Bai Yuan's purpose in coming here, and recalling the chef assessment that had been held recently, the old man in plain clothes directly gave the correct answer.

"Why is it top-class? Shouldn't someone my age be first-class or second-class?"

Bai Yuan said half-jokingly, recalling Li Wanwan's speculations about him on the plane, and couldn't help but sigh, "Old foxes are indeed shrewd."

"What do you mean first-class or second-class? Do you think I'm blind? Your aura has already given me the answer."

People come in all shapes and sizes. Some people are obviously bosses at first glance, some are obviously good at science, some seem reliable, while others seem cunning...

It's a kind of charisma; even without deliberately showing it, it's immediately apparent. In my eyes, you're a superb chef.

The old man in plain clothes took a sip of tea and slowly began to speak. At this moment, the two seemed like old friends who had not seen each other for many years, and they got along very well.

“I see. I did come here to take the Guangzhou Master Chef assessment. I heard that Guangzhou is the most difficult place to take the Master Chef assessment. I was also curious about what makes it so difficult, so I wanted to give it a try.”

Bai Yuan spoke slowly. This was his initial thought, and secondly, it was because Guangzhou held special memories for him, which is why he wanted to come here to achieve the highest level.

"Are you going to rise to the challenge? Every year, many chefs like you come to Guangzhou, thinking that their culinary skills have reached a high level and that they are among the best of the younger generation. But they all fail the top-level assessment in Guangzhou."

"So, does the old gentleman think I'm that kind of person?"

Bai Yuan also picked up his teacup and took a sip, changing his way of addressing the old man in plain clothes.

Guangzhou is famous throughout China for the difficulty of the master chef examination.

Therefore, many talented young chefs from all over the world come here to try and pass Guangzhou's top-level assessment in order to prove their skills.

Young people are proud, and no one wants to be inferior to others.

However, despite the large number of applicants, only one in ten actually passes the Guangzhou Special Grade Chef assessment, and that's assuming the vast majority are geniuses.

No, you give me a different feeling.

You don't have that arrogant air about you; you're more composed and reserved. If I had to say, you give me the impression of a challenger—not a blind follower, but a confident one.

The old man in plain clothes expressed his judgment: although he did not know Bai Yuan's specific strength, he could sense from Bai Yuan's demeanor that he was very strong.

The Guangzhou Master Chef Examination is about to begin, and this time a truly formidable individual is coming!

"Hello, this is your order of poached chicken, claypot rice, and slow-cooked soup. Please enjoy."

Three waiters brought out poached chicken, claypot rice, and slow-cooked soup, placing them on the table. The rich aroma wafted out the moment the lids were opened, attracting the attention of the two.

"The food is finally served. I've gotten hungry from chatting. I'll try it and see if this restaurant is really as delicious as I'd like to come back for more."

Because it was recommended by the old man in plain clothes, Bai Yuan had high expectations for it.

The saying goes that you should drink soup before eating. Looking at the delicious and fragrant slow-cooked soup simmering in a clay pot in front of him, he gently stirred it with a serving spoon.

"Kapok flowers, Smilax glabra, Chinese yam, red dates, honey dates, goji berries, hyacinth beans, Job's tears... The main ingredients are pork tail bones, tofu, and winter melon. It's a classic slow-cooked soup, pork bone, winter melon, and tofu soup."

Looking at the ingredients presented in the spoon, Bai Yuan's face showed a satisfied expression. It truly deserves to be the favorite of all Cantonese people.

If a shop in Guangzhou can't even make a good slow-cooked soup, it can just close down!

"Here, try it and see if it tastes any different from before."

"Thank you."

Bai Yuan first ladled a bowl of delicious soup and handed it to the old man in plain clothes, then ladled one for himself and began to enjoy it with relish.

"After being stewed for a long time, the essence of the pork tail bones is fully released, adding a rich meaty aroma and a slight sweetness to the soup base. At the same time, the meat becomes tender and delicious, melting in your mouth."

Tofu, with its unique bean aroma and smooth texture, complements the rich flavor of the pork bones, adding to the soup's richness and balancing the overall greasiness.

Savoring the rich flavor of the pork bone, winter melon, and tofu soup, the old man in plain clothes showed an expression of enjoyment and subconsciously began to explain.

This soup is of the highest quality, both in terms of cooking time and the preparation of ingredients!

The addition of winter melon brings a refreshing green color and natural sweetness to this soup.

Its refreshing taste effectively neutralizes the richness of other ingredients, making the soup both mellow and refreshing.

And kapok flowers, Smilax glabra…”

Bai Yuan also closed his eyes and, through the sensations transmitted through his tongue, began to eloquently describe the effects of the ingredients, even analyzing the medicinal herbs, deeply dissecting the flavor composition of this slow-cooked soup.

This flavor is the result of a lot of time and effort!

This soup combines the essence of various ingredients into one pot, and because it contains a large amount of Chinese medicinal herbs, it also has health benefits.

"Great, really great!"

Bai Yuan couldn't help but praise them, then turned his gaze to the claypot rice and poached chicken on the other side, a hint of anticipation appearing in his eyes.

Since poached chicken is a cold dish, it can be eaten last, but claypot rice doesn't taste good when it gets cold! It must be eaten first.

So Bai Yuan took his portion of claypot rice, started mixing from the middle, scraped off all the crispy rice stuck to the pot wall, and mixed it with the distinct grains of rice.

The best way to eat claypot rice is to eat the outer layer first, then the middle, with a piece of Chinese sausage or cured pork in each bite. This way you can enjoy the best flavor!

but…

Looking at the pale golden crust of the claypot rice in front of him, Bai Yuan felt that something was wrong. It was obviously not firm enough, as if the cooking time was not right.

However, perhaps the deliciousness of the previous pot of slow-cooked soup had given him too much expectation.

Despite feeling something was amiss, he still picked up a spoon, scooped up a spoonful of rice with the pale yellow crispy rice crust, and savored it carefully.

After taking only two bites, Bai Yuan put down his spoon and turned his gaze to the poached chicken.

For a poached chicken to taste good, it must first have crispy skin, tender meat, be very juicy, and have red but not leaky bone marrow, making it incredibly fragrant and delicious.

The poached chicken in front of us is at least acceptable in terms of appearance and presentation.

but…

Add the poached chicken to the sauce made with ginger and scallions. Bai Yuan frowned again. The poached chicken was not red, so it was definitely overcooked.

In Guangdong, there's a saying about eating raw chicken and cooked duck. This doesn't mean that chicken should be eaten raw, but rather that overcooking chicken will make it too tough, and the taste and texture will drop exponentially!

Therefore, in a successful poached chicken dish, there will always be traces of blood in the bones.

The dish in front of me was not authentic, and unsurprisingly, the taste was worse than that of the original poached chicken, proving that the chef did not put any effort into it.

In Guangdong, even non-chefs can make poached chicken, and second-class chefs can do it quite well.

Overcooking is a very basic mistake.

"Waiter, Checkout."

call…

Letting out a long breath, Bai Yuan suddenly felt an urge to flip the table.

After tasting the slow-cooked soup, he was looking forward to the other dishes at the restaurant, thinking that if they tasted good, he would order a few more.

But if all the other dishes are of this standard, then there's no point in trying them!

“It’s true that each generation is worse than the last, kid. I’m sorry for what happened to you. I never thought Tianfu Restaurant would turn out like this.”

Seeing Bai Yuan's pale face, the old man in plain clothes sighed and apologized to him.

After all, he had confidently recommended this restaurant, so he also bore some responsibility for Bai Yuan eating this kind of food.

It's really unbelievable. This restaurant's business is much better than it was decades ago, but the food they make is completely terrible.

The only commendable dish was the slow-cooked soup, which truly reached the top-tier level, indicating that it was made by a highly skilled soup chef.

"Welcome, sir. Your total bill is 2472 yuan. Would you like to pay in cash or by card?"

"2500 yuan? Show me the bill."

Even though he thought this restaurant was expensive, Bai Yuan's lips still twitched when he heard the price. How could they sell this kind of food at this price? Weren't they afraid of their shop being smashed up one day?

"Okay, sir."

The waiter responded, and a few minutes later, a bill appeared in Bai Yuan's hand: 1088 yuan for the slow-cooked soup, 588 yuan for a serving of poached chicken, and 388 yuan for two servings of claypot rice, totaling 2452 yuan.

Adding the 20 yuan tableware fee for two people, this restaurant is really daring to charge!

Looking at the bill, Bai Yuan almost laughed out of anger. Although the food in this world is relatively expensive, that has to do with its taste.

This was the first time Bai Yuan had ever seen a place that sold dishes made by a second-class chef at the price of a first-class chef. So he decisively slammed his hand on the table and said to the waiter, "Call over the chef who makes poached chicken and claypot rice. I want to see how this kind of garbage dares to sell at this price!"

It's not that I don't have money, nor that I want to dine and dash; I just can't stand these lousy restaurants that cheat and swindle people, so I want to teach them a lesson.

This is the most basic right of a diner, but what surprised him was why no one had done this all this time?